Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading ... so here's this month's grading diary.

STARTING ON A SERIOUS NOTE ...
The Card: Will Ferrell 2015 Topps Archives Will Ferrell Inserts
The Reason Graded: Back in 2015 this comedy legend took to the field for 10 MLB teams and played 10 positions in a single day of real spring training action -- you can see his stats here -- as part of a project with a charity component called Ferrell Takes The Field. Collectors ended up chasing his autographs on 10 different cards in Archives that year -- roughly one per hobby case if I remember correctly -- but, alas, I went 0-for-1 there before those boxes got too pricy and/or vanished ... but I did hit the blasters. There, the regular Ferrell inserts were found one per box -- at least until all of those boxes disappeared, too. It's been a decade since this publicity stunt took place (March 12, 2015), so I figured we could start this new MLB season here on a serious note. These aren't his only cards -- he popped up a few times that year -- but this was the first set and this was the first card -- and one for my team.
The Grade: CGC 10

Reality Check: There's a small volume of stuff slabbed for this card -- roughly all cards here have no more than 10 slabbed copies across the entire set -- and this is among the top marks. This card has full-bleed back edges in bright blue just like in 1965 Topps and when I saw how clean this card was, well, it was a no-brainer. I previously slabbed one elsewhere years ago and this copy will go well with that and a slab of the same photo used on a magazine cover that ended up on a show promo card. A lot of those who likely weren't collecting back then seem to be interested here as asking prices can be steep -- raw or graded -- for Ferrell stuff.

Keep reading for more of this month's pick-ups and new slabs for Buzz.

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This could end up being the Chicago Cubs' year -- and you could be right in the middle of it all on Aug. 31 in Wrigley Field.

You'll throw out the first pitch and you'll meet Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins. Oh, and you'll have to lead the crowd during "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch.

How? You'll have to enter a contest from InvestInBaseball.com.

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The second series of the hobby's flagship baseball card set officially arrives on Wednesday, but that hasn't stopped retail hunters from tracking down some 2016 Topps Series 2 packs and tearing in.

First Pitch celebs are back and tribute sets for Ichiro Suzuki and Ken Griffey Jr. are included, but that's just the start for the product that includes one autograph or Relic per hobby box with one guaranteed in every jumbo. 

There will, of course, there will be short-printed variations and a selection of much-rarer photo variations. Among those? Yoenis Cespedes and one of his alternative modes of transportation back during spring training.

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What: 2016 Topps Chrome baseball cards
Arrives: Aug. 3
Box basics: Two autographs per 24-pack hobby box; five autographs per 12-pack jumbo box

What's buzz-worthy: This year's Chrome will have all the rainbow shades collectors expect, some rare veteran autos and two autos in every box, but that all might be trumped by the inclusion of 2015 Topps Chrome Carlos Correa Rookie Card autographs as the ink from the reigning American League Rookie of the Year will also be found here.

Keep reading for more as well as a full gallery of images.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing Today: 2016 Topps Jordan Spieth First Pitch, big breaks,  a 264 collector, Johnny Manziel & more.

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